Trees saved, pockets filled thru paper weaving

There are other ways Filipinos can show their patriotism aside from just making sweeping statements in which they profess their love of country.

For Sinag-CEF Eco Center founder and environmentalist Annie Guerrero, this trait can also be displayed by conserving and recycling the country’s fast dwindling resources.

Earlier this week, Guerrero launched at the Sinag office in Quezon City a paper weaving project in which community groups and individuals were taught to weave old scraps of paper into bags, jewelry, containers, even coffins.

The finished products could then be sold to give the beneficiaries a viable source of income, she said.

She added that the center was promoting paper weaving which is essentially a recycling program because it is simple, low-cost and entails easy-to-grasp techniques. The low-technology program can also be easily replicated by just about anyone who can turn it into a source of livelihood.

“That is the best way. Just by using old newspapers, you can make a lot,” Guerrero said, adding that a kilo of old newspapers sells for just a few pesos while the finished products can fetch a lot more.

She noted, however, that some people may be wondering why Sinag was focused on just paper and not on other recyclable materials as well.

According to her, conserving paper can help save a lot of trees.  She said that while the government was spending millions of pesos to restore the country’s lost forest cover, the results would not be evident for years.

Guerrero noted that only recently, the country’s $23 million debt to the United States was waived under a debt-for-nature swap so the government could use the money for tree planting.

“In the meantime, you have to conserve the use of paper,” she said. “It’s almost a criminal act to waste [it].”

The Sinag-CEF Eco Center in Quezon City offers various livelihood and eco-friendly projects that can easily be adapted by communities. It has vegetable plots and a small bee farm from which honey is harvested.

Aside from recycling, the center also practices composting and organic farming techniques.